New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- For three decades, May Lee had built her professional life around Hewlett-Packard (HP). She joined the technology company as an intern in 1987 and had expected to eventually retire from it, according to a report by Business Insider.

Instead, a layoff at 59 forced her to rethink what came next. After struggling to find another job in the technology sector, Lee took a path far removed from her previous corporate career. In 2025, she travelled to Antarctica to work as a supply technician at McMurdo Station.

Lee shared her experience in an as-told-to essay for Business Insider, describing how an unexpected career break eventually led her to a completely different working environment.

Lee had not planned to leave HP. ...